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Farrell OK with Bogaerts' aggressive baserunning

6/7/14: After Xander Bogaerts steals third safely in the 9th inning, Brad Ausmus challenges, but after review the call is confirmed

By Matt Slovin
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MLB.com |

DETROIT -- An odd moment developed in the ninth inning of the Tigers' 8-6 win over the Red Sox on Saturday.

With one out and Boston batting, Xander Bogaerts noticed nobody was manning third base. He took off for the bag, and Detroit closer Joe Nathan engaged him in a footrace from the mound.

Nathan's momentum forced Bogaerts off the base, and that's why a video review confirmed the initial ruling on the field of safe. Bogaerts scored on a David Ortiz groundout, but the Red Sox rally still came up short.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said Sunday that he has enough faith in his team to take an extra base if the situation allows. That was exactly the case Saturday, with third baseman Nick Castellanos shifting to play Ortiz on the right side of the infield.

"That's the one thing that we want to be adamant about -- that if there's any kind of risk in advancing, you've got to have a feel that you're going to be 100-percent successful," Farrell said.

He added that he would've preferred to see Bogaerts execute a slide. But Bogaerts' aggressiveness on the play was still admirable to the skipper, even if he'd have found himself in the doghouse had he been a half-step slower.

"There's some things that you need to become aware of, and it's a moment like that yesterday, when they're in that alignment, that if the attention isn't being paid to you, you can exploit it," Farrell said.

Matt Slovin is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.